pilole 2017 giugno/agosto

SETTEMBRE 2017	OTTOBRE 2017
ALVVAYS "Antisocialites" On Antisocialites, Alvvays dive back into the deep-end of reckless romance and altered dates. Ice cream truck jangle collides with prismatic noise pop while Molly Rankin's wit is refracted through crystalline surf counterpoint. Through thoughtful consideration in basement and abroad, the Toronto-based group has renewed its Scot-pop vows with a powerful new collection of manic emotional collage. [ file under: indie pop ]		CAITI BAKER "Zinc" Caiti Baker is her own Genre. Combining the Blues, Soul and Big Band influences ingrained in her since birth, with the R&B, New Jack Swing and Hip Hop of her adolescence, you have a sound; an energy and a presence like no other. Sitting atop warm soulful hip hop production laced with lo-fi guitar, bent double bass and bold horn lines, Caiti’s stunning and lyrically lush vocals soar through padded harmonies only a genre defying musician can create. [ file under: neo soul ]
BELIEFS "Habitat" “It’s a dark record, for sure,” affirms Crowe. “I feel like we were drawing a lot more from, like, me being a Goth teenager and Josh only wanting to listen to Aphex Twin and me only wanting to listen to Portishead’s Third for the last year and stuff like that. But also it was time to embody the elements of being a ‘wall-of-sound’ band with some space and the idea of being able to be quiet when you should be quiet, and you can’t do that with three guitars. There’s no space. It just becomes all push and no pull.” [ file under: newer wve ]		COLLEEN "A flame my love, a frequency" French multi-instrumentalist Colleen (Cécile Schott) is fearless in her willingness to explore new sounds and new ways of creating music as a solo performer. On her new album ‘A Flame My Love, A Frequency’ she introduces the most drastic change to her music since she began singing on her fourth album, setting aside the viola da gamba she is known for in exchange for all electronic instrumentation - Moog pedals and Critter and Guitari synthesizers. Colleen has been praised by Pitchfork, Uncut, Mojo, The Wire, Magnet, FACT, Stereogum, The New York Times, Exclaim, Relix, Resident Advisor, Paste, The Quietus and more. [ file under: modern classical ]
MAYA JANE COLES "Take flight" Four years have passed since Maya Jane Coles' last full-length excursion (2015's set as Nocturnal Sunshine not included), so it's perhaps unsurprising that Take Flight is something of a long and undulating epic. Featuring 24 tracks stretched across two CDs and a string of eager collaborators, Take Flight is little less than an extended showcase for the DJ/producer's particular bland of shuffling, tactile tech-house, tweaked to suit the demands of radio and home listeners. [ file under: electronica ]		DUCKTAILS "Jersey devil" Matt Mondanile's sixth full-length album as Ducktails, Jersey Devil, is a mature, multi-faceted work that showcases the New Jersey musician's return to his DIY roots. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources, including the cosmic jazz fusion of Haruomi Hosono, the album is a huge leap forward in songwriting and production. Mondanile started working on the record in Los Angeles prior to his departure from Real Estate, in a cramped, stuffy warehouse space he converted into a modest studio. [ file under: alternative pop ]
DREAM SYNDICATE "How did I find myself here?" The Dream Syndicate are at the foundation of contemporary alternative music because back in 1981 at a time when most bands were experimenting with new technology, they choose to bring back the guitar. Their seminal album The Days of Wine and Roses (1984) has been cited as influential by artists from Nirvana to The Black Crowes [ file under: paisley underground ]		FITNESS FOREVER "Tonight" Calling an album full of Italian-disco “Tonight” is a total declaration of intent. Without mercy. Carlos Valderrama and company’s third album doesn’t let you rest for even a second. Blood, sweat, and tears on the dance floor. Syncopated rhythms, instrumental exuberance, unforgettable melodies. [ file under: disco pop ]
GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR "Luciferian towers" “Godspeed You! Black Emperor conjure a rare sort of glorious joy to push back against a world so susceptible to corruption that it might only evolve under a bombardment of large, persistent sound waves. Vital, vibrant, and necessary, Luciferian Towers is a stunning addition to Godspeed's storied catalogue.” Exclaim (9/10) [ file under: constellation ]		FOUR TET "New energy" Written and produced by Kieran Hebden. Created on a laptop computer using Ableton Live software to control and mix VST plugins as well as manipulations of audio recordings. Plugins used for sound generation include Omnisphere, Kontakt, Dexed and Arturia V Collection. Additional synthesiser programming on LA Trance by Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. [ file under: electronica ]
EMILY HAINES & THE SOFT SKELETON "Choir of the mind" Haines recorded Choir of the Mind over several weeks in September and October of 2016, more or less alone in Metric’s Toronto studio with a borrowed 18-foot grand piano built in 1850. Her longtime musical partner/Metric bandmate, James Shaw, helped flesh out the sonics with various instruments and rhythmic elements. Sparklehorse drummer Scott Minor, a member of the Soft Skeleton’s first incarnation, returned to perform on “Legend of the Wild Horse.”. [ file under: classical indie ]		IBEYI "Ash" French-Cuban twins Ibeyi are back with their second album Ash, a record that tackles subjects as diverse as womanhood, spirituality, activism and racism, all conveyed in Ibeyi’s own unique blend of modern pop, hip-hop and electronic influenced music that incorporates the traditional sounds of Yorùbá. Ash is the follow-up to the twin’s 2015 critically acclaimed, eponymous debut album that made Ibeyi a globally recognized name. [ file under: neo soul ]
IRRESISTIBLE FORCE "Kira kira" The Irresistible Force returns with ‘Kira Kira’, his first original album in nearly ten years. The album dips and dives through lush ambient soundscapes, combining Mixmaster Morris’ signature use of crate digging, live instrumentation, and swirling electronics. [ file under: nineties ambient ]		JAMES L'ESTRAUNGE ORCHESTRA "Eventual reality" Ricky Reid makes his debut under The James L'Estraunge Orchestra and the results are magnificent. "Closer" is a luvvy-duvvy sort of ballad, backed by Reid's deep lyrics and a euphoric wave of harmonics that sound all too angelic and soulful for a straight-up jazz tune; "Groovin' You" is the more percussive of the two, breaking out the jazz horns, unleashing a subtle glow of Rhodes fluttering, and providing a mighty fine groove. [ file under: downtempo ]
KOLSCH "1989" For Danish native and much-revered producer/performer Rune Reilly, Kompakt has proven the perfect home curating his music: with two critically acclaimed albums and a now classic run of solo instalments in our Speicher 12” series, he took his techno craftsmanship to new levels, setting it on a melodic, emotive and even autobiographical course - without loosing any of its punch and quirkiness. [ file under: techno ]		KELELA "Take me apart" Warp presents Take Me Apart, the debut album from contemporary R&B’s icon-in-the-making, Kelela. The long-awaited opus arrives at the tail end of an extended tour with The xx and scene-stealing guest spots on recent albums from longtime ally Solange, Warp’s gonzo rap star Danny Brown and most recently on Humanz from Gorillaz. [ file under: neo soul ]
LCD SOUNDSYSTEM "American dream" American Dream is the fourth studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem, released on September 1, 2017, by DFA and Columbia. It was first announced on January 5, 2016, the day after it was revealed that the band was reuniting after a disbandment lasting nearly five years. It is the band's first album in seven years, following This Is Happening (2010). [ file under: post post-punk ]		KING KRULE "Ooz" New 2017 album! Deep-voiced soul noir 'n' echo-chamber jazz-beats from the South London enigma. Includes Czech One and Dum Surfer. [ file under: indie pop ]
L.S.G. "Double vision" Without doubt one of the most influential figures in electronic music for almost three decades. Oliver Lieb aka L.S.G. treats us to his new double album (and his 10th studio album under this moniker) Double Vision. Fresh off the back of an exclusive vinyl pressing (on Bonzai Progressive) of his massive hit - Netherworld, this sublime album traverses a world of cosmic chilled out grooves. [ file under: nineties trance ]		LA BIEN QUERIDA "Fuego" Every time we begin to listen to a new LA BIEN QUERIDA album, we are faced with the question of what we are going to find this time, because we know that it’s going to be something completely new and different from what we have heard up to now. The title of this new release is “Fuego” (fire, in Spanish), which corresponds to the south, to red, to summer, to the heart - the fire of passion, of love and hate, the fire of the spirit and intuition. [ file under: indie spanish pop ]
MUSIQ SOULCHILD "Feel the real" Musiq’s no nonsense conversational songwriting style and buttery vocals earned him a recording contract as he took on an illuminating, life-changing last name. Musiq Soulchild was born. Everything down to his meticulous throwback soul man image (his trademark apple jack cap and designer shades) screamed superstar. Soon Musiq’s name was being mentioned alongside modern day R&B royalty like Erykah Badu, R. Kelly, Usher, D’Angelo, Maxwell, and Jill Scott. [ file under: real r. & b. ]		HANNAH PEEL "Mary Casio: journey to Cassiopeia" Mary Casio is a suite of nine interrelated pieces stressing the theme. Assumedly, Mary Casio has passed away as the album dies its last. The brass is employed sparingly to add rhythmic colour and swells rather than bombast. It moves the musical motifs along. The suitably spacey electronica suggests Peel has a fondness for Ralf & Florian-era Kraftwerk, Philip Glass, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and Hawkwind’s Dik Mik. Musically and conceptually, the only comparison bubbling up is the 1975 Klaus Schulze album Timewind. [ file under: experimental ]
NINOS DU BRASIL "Vida eterna" Ninos Du Brasil’s excellent third album and second for Hospital Productions is their deadliest yet; offsetting tribal drum rituals laced with bestial electronics and possessed vocals, including a guest appearance by No Wave legend Arto Lindsay. Highly recommended if you’re into Psychedelic Warriors Of Gaia, Female or Vatican Shadow. [ file under: pwog ]		GARETH SAGER "88 Tuned dreams" Gareth Sager, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and the founding member of The Pop Group, Rip Rig and Panic and Head releases his first solo piano album. 88 Tuned Dreams is released through Freaks R Us. The self-produced album, comprised of fourteen melodic classical improvisations was recorded in one miraculous session at arguably the world’s most distinguished recording space; Studio One, Abbey Road. 88 Tuned Dreams is an extraordinary affirmation of the liberated punk ideals that have continually inspired Gareth Sager throughout his career. [ file under: piano solo ]
JORDAN RAKEI "Wallflower" “Wallflower”: introverted, misunderstood, sensitive, strange and seemingly unknowable. Newly signed to Ninja Tune, Jordan Rakei has battled his inner demons and written an inspirational, soul-stirring record in the process. Titled “Wallflower” which will be released on 22nd September 2017. [ file under: neo-soul ]		KAITLYN AURELIA SMITH "Kid" Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith follows up a collaborative album with electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani and her breakthrough long player EARS with her latest journey, The Kid. A double album in length that portrays the earliest steps of life's journey through a majestic sense of awe, mysticism and wonder. [ file under: experimental ]
NADINE SHAH "Holiday destination" The third album from the UK singer-songwriter is bleak but compassionate. Her brooding post-punk is an unsettling backdrop for songs about the refugee crisis, Islamophobia, and poisonous politicians. [ file under: post-punk ]		TOKIMONSTA "Lune rouge" As TOKiMONSTA, California producer Jennifer Lee’s charted a fascinating career over the past seven years, and Lune Rouge is her exhilarating next step. Her third proper long-player is both a logical progression of her sound and a surprising left turn from an artist that rarely ceases to surprise. A smoky, patient, and altogether lovely collection, Lune Rouge mixes modern sensibilities with old-school sounds to make for a heady brew of moonlit music. [ file under: broken beat ]
MOSES SUMNEY "Aromanticism" Following the self-release of his debut cassette EP, Mid-City Island, and 2015's 7", Seeds/Pleas, Sumney has performed around the world alongside forebears like David Byrne, Karen O, Sufjan Stevens, Solange, James Blake and more. His proper debut album, Aromanticism is a concept album about lovelessness as a sonic dreamscape. [ file under: deconstructed soul ]		JAMILA WOODS "Heavn" A frequent guest vocalist in the hip-hop, jazz and soul world, Jamila has emerged as a once-in-a-generation voice on her soul-stirring debut. Hailed by Pitchfork as, “a singular mix of clear-eyed optimism and Black girl magic,” Heavn is the culmination of more than two decades’ worth of musical performances, creative remixing, haunted memories and her unique “collage” writing process. [ file under: neo soul ]